Colonialism In Tsisiti Dangarembga's 'Nervous Conditions'

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Tsisiti Dangarembga book Nervous Conditions is about the negative ill’s native people and in particular black women, succumb too under colonization and the patriarchy, which she calls “Nervous Conditions”. Dangarembga argues that gender plays a fundamental role as to how colonization is felt and this is evident by her choice of the main character, Tambu, a black female. Throughout the book Tambu battles for education, public opinion, self worth and respect and this portrayal of the effects that colonialism and patriarchy have on Tambu is very similar to Half of a Yellow Sun, as the effects of the war were depicted throughout the main characters. From the onset of the book we learn that Tambu shows no remorse for her brothers death by saying, …show more content…

This is why she begins too grow a garden in order to pay for her schooling when she is forced out of school due to lack of funds and her brother is chosen to continue over her. When she begs her parents not to take her out of school her father chastises her by saying "Can you cook books and feed them to your husband?”, which further shows Tambu that her families expectations for her were never an education but rather for her to find a husband and fulfill her traditional role as a woman in Shona culture; an expectation she too shared at one point. However, even when she raises enough money for her tuition with her garden and even after her brothers death allows her to continue her goal, she is quickly reminded thy her uncle hat she must still follow the strict Shona gender expectations or risk losing it all. When speaking with her Aunt one night Tambu also learns that a education may not be enough

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